Penrith Panthers star fullback was singled out for praise during Saturday evening's minor premiership presentation, but even he was left confused at one remark from NRL CEO Andrew Abdo.
During the presentation of the minor premiership shield, NRL CEO Andrew Abdo took to the stage to congratulate the Panthers and run through a number of the stats which have set them apart from the competition this year.
As a team, the Panthers have run for at least ten per cent more metres than any other club and lead the competition in completion rates, but it was the special praise for Abdo which left the Panthers' fullback confused, with Abdo claiming he had made "193 try assists" this season.
โIt's very difficult to single out any individual in such a phenomenal team effort, but I would like to acknowledge how unified this team is,โ he said.
โDylan Edwards at fullback has made 193 assists. That's phenomenal.โ
Edwards' reaction, as seen below, summed up exactly how accurate the claim was.
Edwards ๐๐๐ pic.twitter.com/tMlRPrhPzu
— Martin Gabor (@MartinJGabor) September 2, 2023
Penrith's 44 points to 12 victory over the North Queensland Cowboys on Saturday evening ensured they locked up the minor premiership yet again and will enter the finals as the favourites to make it three in a row.
The win ensured they leapfrogged the Brisbane Broncos on for and against after Kevin Walters' side came up short on Thursday evening having rested most of their best side for a clash with the Melbourne Storm.
The Panthers will now take on the New Zealand Warriors in the first week of the finals, while the Broncos will face the difficult task of ending their hoodoo against the Storm in the second clash in two weeks between the clubs.
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Edwards, who missed Round 26, after he was rested, has played every other game this year for the Panthers after being overlooked for State of Origin selection.
Often mentioned as a non ball player in Penrith's set up, Edwards has in fact only assisted five tries in 2023, but has scored 11, made 140 tackle breaks and averaged a stunning 206 metres per game.
The schedule for the opening week of the finals will be confirmed by the NRL on Sunday evening at the completion of Round 27.
